The desirability of an artificial external liver, e.g., to be used with a patient with a deficient liver while awaiting a transplant, is known in the art, Jauregui, H. O., et al., "Hybrid Artificial Liver", in Szycher, M. (ed.), Biocompatible Polymers, Metals, and Other Composites, (Lancaster, PA, Technomic Pub) 1983, pp. 907-928; Matsumura U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,851.
Wolf, F. W., and Munkelt, B. E., "Bilirubin Conjugation by an Artificial Liver Composed of Cultured Cells and Synthetic Capillaries," Vol. XXI Trans. Amer. Soc. Artif. Int. Organs, 1975, pp. 16-23, describe experiments in which rat hepatoma (tumorous liver) cells were provided in the regions between hollow semipermeable fibers in a cartridge, and blood was passed through the fibers and treated by the hepatoma cells. In such hollow fiber devices, the fibers are used to isolate the cells from the patient's immune defense system and have pore sizes so as to permit transfer of toxic substances.
Hager, et al., "Neonatal Hepatocyte Culture on Artificial Capillaries. A Model for Drug Metabolism and the Artificial Liver", ASAIO J., 6:26-35 (Jan/Mar 1983), and Jauregui, H. O., et al., "Adult Rat Hepatocyte Cultures as the Cellular Component of an Artificial Hybrid Liver", in Paul, J. (ed.), Biomaterials in Artificial Organs, (MacMillan) 1983, pp. 130-140, describe experiments in which hepatocytes (healthy liver cells) were grown on external surfaces of and into walls of hollow, semipermeable fibers in a cartridqe. The latter reference suggests treating the fibers with collagen prior to seeding with hepatocytes to improve attachment.
Jauregui, H. O., et al., "Hybrid Artifical Liver", supra, discloses the desirability of attaching hepatocytes (which are anchorage dependent cells) to a biocompatible polymeric substrate (p. 913) and reports attaching using ligands such as asialoglycoprotein, insulin, epidermal growth factor, collagen, and fibronectin (p. 917).